Communication has been a necessity since the dawn of time, as illustrated in the story of the Tower of Babel from the book of Genesis. According to this tale, the peoples of the world were originally united under a common language. Realizing their potential, they set out to build a tower stretching into the heavens.

God saw that their unification under a single language gave them great power and opportunity. He worried that they were becoming capable of too much and decided to muddle their languages and scatter them across the Earth. In the end, their languages were confused, and the tower was left unfinished in a city called Babel, named so, “because God there confounded the language of all the earth.” (Genesis 11:58)

In this day and age, communication is key. It unlocks the doors to a better, more successful and compassionate existence. With the invention of new technology, along with the fact that countries are becoming increasingly diverse, people are bound to run into others of various cultures who speak different languages.

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Understanding a second language can lead to advancement in future careers, aid in simple daily activities, and, most importantly, make the world a better a place. For these reasons, along with countless others, students should be encouraged, if not required to learn a second language.

Certain employers are willing to offer up to five-figure bonuses to employees for simply minoring in a foreign language during college. Having this knowledge on hand, can also be beneficial when traveling to other regions of the United States, as well as to foreign countries for work, during which job tasks can be greatly simplified by being able to communicate effectively.

In my experience, learning Spanish has allowed me to formulate better grammar and writing in English. This knowledge has also helped me to forge new relationships that wouldn’t have been possible had I been familiar with only my own language.

Disagreements are fueled by simple misunderstandings between different groups of people. On a certain level, learning a second language can make the world a better place by preventing these disagreements and promoting understanding — the root of compassion.

By requiring students to learn a second language, generations to come will reap immense opportunities and benefits. If the people of Babel had the potential to build a tower to the heavens who knows what we are capable of, if only we attempt to understand each other.

Katherine Burnham is a senior at Plainwell High School.

High school students from southwestern Michigan schools serve on
the Kalamazoo Gazette's Young Editorial Staff (YES). The students pick their
own discussion topics. The views expressed in Our Turn are solely those
of the students, not the Gazette.